1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for telecommunications. More particularly, the invention relates to devices for wavelength division multiplexed networks.
2. Description of the Background Art
To further increase the capacity on existing optical networks a number of methods are known. One means is to use a type of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique in order to improve the degree of utilization of the available bandwidth.
One problem to overcome in WDM networks relates to managing the frequently changing network operation. Reconfigurable systems are needed in this regard.
A different problem in WDM networks pertains to non-uniform gains that are wavelength dependent. For example, erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) exhibit a non-uniform gain spectrum that differs depending on the WDM channel. It is desirable to be able to equalize such non-uniform gain between channels.